Available for Commissions
Kari Souders was born in upstate NY in 1967. In 1985-86 Kari studied art and culture in France. She went on to attend Syracuse University and obtained a BA in Fine Arts in 1990. In 1994 Kari received her MFA in painting from the University of Maryland where she attended on a full tuition teaching scholarship.
Kari sees her abstract paintings as maps of the mind. Her work is created through a ritualistic physical and structural approach. Her process involves mapping, exploring organic constraints and seeking the possibilities of continuous systems. She works to harmonize mixed media through layering beeswax, paint and collage elements that evolve to a mutual resolution over time. The surfaces of her paintings are intensely worked until they appear both destructive and regenerative. Unearthing the painting's hidden layers allows actual interaction between the inside and outside of the painting. The gouged and thickly covered surface, while very physical, brings to mind topographical maps. Her paintings expose her mental geography where through the imbrication of textures and movement she interweaves the topography of the brain and the outside world.
Kari has had numerous gallery exhibitions and won a host of art awards. A selected group of these can be found on her website Bibliography. Kari’s work is collected by a diverse group of corporations and patrons around the globe.
